Pre-Valentines Spanish Lunch Buffet at Alba Restorante Espanol

Lettuce Says,

It's February gals and guys! I know a lot of us are now searching for romantic and brilliant ideas on how to celebrate Valentines day with our lovey doves, family, or even with our single friends.  Here's a surefire hit and date-worthy restaurant for people who have cravings for some delectable spanish dishes and a tight budget, Alba Ristorante Espanol. They serve lunch and dinner buffets, and luckily I got vouchers to treat Sunrise and MIL (mother-in-law)!

First things first, when you hear "buffet" you may be expecting a large spread just like the bigwig hotels or Dad's or Yakimix. Here in Alba, expect a selected array of spanish creations that are big in flavor, taste, and quality.

We had lunch reservations at their Alabang branch located inside Westgate. Their interiors were dimly lit and the tables were simply decorated with red and white tablecloths. They occupied two cozy floors, with a wall laden with bottles of wine.

Shall we start emptyin Alba's plates?

They have 3 buffet stations which were composed of the appetizers, mains, and desserts. The attentive waiters served some soup which is the, Sopa de Cebollas, onion soup.

The Appetizers

Appetizers

Ensalada Murciana

Ensalada Murciana, tossed salad of fresh lettuce, tomato, shrimp, and corn kernel with light mayo dressing.

Sardinas Picantes

Sardinas Picantes
This spicy spanish sardines became one of my favorites! We  even took some of the imported cans for take away. This has the authentic taste of spanish sardines which was not overly salty.

A trio tray servings of Albondigas de Pollo (chicken meatballs in cream and gravy), just ordinary chicken balls, Champignon al Ajillo (button mushrooms in olive oil, garlic and chili) which was very tasty, and Croquetas de Pescado, a fried meat ball, totally forgettable.

Toasted Bread with Pates

Toasted breads served with Liver Pate, Espinacas (spinach with feta cheese), and Pimientos pate. I loved the liver pate.

Cold cuts

Cold cuts selection in Spanish were Tabla Embutidos, these were Pamplona (cured spanish chorizo), Mortadela (bologna), and Salchichon (spanish style salami). The spices on the cold cuts are distinct and went well on their own or with some of the pates and bread.

The Main Dishes

Callos a la Madrilena

Callos a la Madrilena, stewed ox-tripe in rich tomato sauce. They cooked their callos right.

Pollo al Ajillo

Pollo al Ajillo, grilled chicken with pobre sauce.

Pasta con Setas

Menestre Legumbres

Menestre Legumbres, sauteed vegetables in light sauce. In buffets, I always skip the veggies, but since the spread was limited, I was able to squeeze some tummy space for these vibrant and seasoned veggies.

Lengua Sevillana

Lengua Sevillana, stewed ox-tongue with mushroom and olives in rich sherry brown sauce. MIL loved this a lot, the lengua was really soft and tender and the sauce definitely need some rice lovin.

Care for some crispy pata?

Crispy Pata

Cochinillo Asado

Cochinillo Asado, oven roasted suckling pig, with the right crisp of that golden color.

Paella Valenciana

The star of our lunch, the real deal, Paella Valenciana, Valencian rice dish with chicken, pork, seafood and vegetables. After tasting this paella, we were hands down to their home style spanish cooking. The paella alone was worth every peso of the buffet price. We could wolf down one paellera all to ourselves. Their recipe was outstanding from the meaty toppings down to the burnt bottom goodness. For us, this is the best paella in the Metro!

Glorious plate of mine!

Room for Desserts

Desserts

Canonigo

Canonigo, soft meringue cake with vanilla custard sauce. Brazo de Mercedes sent Sunrise to a different level. Yummy and not too sweet.

Canonigo

Pwede na pang date? :)

Rule No.1 NO LEFTOVERS

I salute Alba for having a no left over policy to conserve food and water and to avoid unnecessary spoilage. Please note that Php500 per table will be charged for left overs.

Hashtag #myemptyplates for all your emptied plates!!!

Alba Restaurante Español

Westgate, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City 

771.2178-79

38 Polaris St. Bel Air Makati City

896.6950-51, 890.4372 

Tomas Morato cor. Scout Lozano, QC

925.1912, 411.7052, 928.7129

Spanish Lunch Buffet

P650+ per head

Kids 4 feet and below: P325+

3 years old and below: free

Schedule:

11:30 am to 2:30 pm

Available Monday to Sunday in all outlets

Spanish Dinner Buffet

P695+ per head

Kids 4 feet and below: P348+

3 years old and below: free

Schedule:

6:00 to 10:30 pm

Monday to Sunday in Tomas Morato, QC branch

Saturdays and Sundays in Westgate, Alabang branch

Sundays in Polaris, Bel Air Makati Branch

*All articles and photos posted are owned by LettuceandSunrise and should not be copied and/or used without prior written authorization from us. You can always SHARE our posts with the applicable trackback by putting the corresponding links. We will also do this ethical act for other people's posts, websites, and photos that we want to share on this blog. This is a personal blog. Like a diary or journal, all the views, insights, and opinions written here are solely based on our own point of views and belong to ours alone and not of the companies we are part of. Information may not be accurate and may only be applicable at the exact time and situation we experienced it. We will not liable for any errors in this information or any losses or damages arising from its display or use.

Eat, Swim, Repeat ... at La Luz Beach Resort

Lettuce Says,

My colleagues, together with Sunrise, and I, went on a getaway to the nearest beach, with some decent sand. Where to? Laiya, San Juan, Batangas!

After some OC-ness research by yours truly, we booked an overnight stay in La Luz Beach Resort. A lot of the more upscale resorts in Laiya have mandatory meal package per head basis. So we weighed a lot of options and the "relaxed" mode won. We thought that what we really want was to just chill and chat at the beach, so no time for cooking or looking for restos. We found out that the package for full board meals were more than what it's worth after tipping the scale with a few pounds earned over the weekend!

The moment we stepped into La Luz, we were served a refreshing pandan drink and cold towels.

Have I mentioned that we will eat a Buffet Lunch, Buffet Merienda, Buffet Dinner, and Buffet Breakfast?!! Oh, yeah!

Let's get it on! (So how many riceless lunch at work will I take to compensate for this?) Hakuna Matata!

Sofitel's Rainy Sunset Buffet

Snapshots of Last Year Series

Lettuce Says,

While I was checking my emails, I saw a promo voucher for the same Sunset Buffet deal I purchased last year from Cash Cash Pinoy.  And so, I rummaged through old piles of photos and thought of sharing it with you.

 Photo from Cash Cash Pinoy Website

Segway. Before that, I scored a separate deal from Philippe Tordjman Le Salon in Sofitel for a Haircut and Keratin Treatment for only PhP999 instead of PhP5500. 

Before

After

I was really expecting a VIP treatment (as also stated in the deal) thinking of a 5k worth of treatment! Sad thing was, I felt the treatment was really worth the promo price (or maybe lesser). It was a junior stylist who trimmed my hair, who didn't offer any drinks or magazines and just put some hot oil like every other salon will do but for a cheaper price of course. Nothing spectacular, really no VIP sign whatsoever. Philippe was there, I thought he'll be the one to cut my hair but no such luck, what can you expect it still was a promo rate. These things made me feel bad about buying from these online group buying sites, a lot of them (but not all of course), just made a lot of false advertising, just flowery words and all. Still, I'm a GV girl, so smile!

 

Sadly, this is also what I felt from the Sofitel's Sunset buffet. Based on the quality of ingredients used, I feel Marriot was more superior than this.

I bought two vouchers for Sunrise and I because I want to surprise him for our 4th year anniv as bf-gf and because I know that he is dying to try out Sofitel's buffet. Although it's not for Spiral Buffet, I said, what the heck they share the same kitchen and chef so they might just taste the same. The deal back then is PhP999 per person quite a great deal because Spiral's rate then is PhP2700++ net. Now, the Sunset BBQ Buffet is PhP1399 instead of PhP2078 (whew! much heavier now on the pockets).

Table Setup

 Yeah, you get it right, sunset buffet inside a tent. Well, it rained and its nobody's fault. But I'm kinda expecting a tent with maybe some actual view of the bay. The different folk dances were great, though.

 

Spinach Soup and Assorted Bread

The star of the night, need I say more?

Lechon

Prime Rib

Grilled Shrimp and Mussels

 The grilled shrimp and the rest of the entrees (around 6 variants),totally forgettable. See, I actually forgot to take some photos.

Green Salad

It's weird, seeing there are more dressing variants than the leafy greens.

Oysters

Pasta Spread

Assorted Pastries

DIY Halo Halo

With all that's been said and eaten, we're still looking forward to a more satisfying buffet, we certainly hope that it is, Spiral's.

Spiral, hope we'll empty your plates soon.

For those who has redeemed their vouchers, please share with us your firsthand dining experience.

 

Sept 2011 
Sunset BBQ Buffet

Hotel Sofitel Manila

*All articles and photos posted are owned by LettuceandSunrise and should not be copied and/or used without prior written authorization from us. You can always SHARE our posts with the applicable trackback by putting the corresponding links. We will also do this ethical act for other people's posts, websites, and photos that we want to share on this blog. This is a personal blog. Like a diary or journal, all the views, insights, and opinions written here are solely based on our own point of views and belong to ours alone and not of the companies we are part of. Information may not be accurate and may only be applicable at the exact time and situation we experienced it. We will not liable for any errors in this information or any losses or damages arising from its display or use.
  
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Marriott Café @ Marriott Hotel Manila

Nov. 2009

Lettuce Says,

I saw an ad from a newspaper about a 50% off on lunch and dinner buffet during weekdays in a newly opened 5-star restaurant (Marriott Hotel Manila). I excitedly told Sunrise that I want to dine there since I haven't experienced eating a buffet in a hotel, well except on weddings. I got the craving for a buffet when I watched an episode of Survivor Palau Philippines where Mika and Amanda ate heartily in a hotel. Sunrise then invited his friends to join us one Friday night. But only Jules confirmed and his date didn't manage to come. He called the Hotel for a reservation like 2 weeks before our trio date. But, when he called again to check (a day before), he was told that our reservation was cancelled because of a VIP thing and we landed on the waiting list. Not wanting to ruin our buffet date, we patiently wait for our turn. The stressed out lady with the very-important-reservation list with her didn't give me a number or even get our names. I thought she has this high memory mind to know the order of people like us who are on the waiting list. But after an hour of waiting, I noticed that foreigners who didn't have the very-important reservation had managed to get way past us. I can't help being awed (I'm sarcastic, okay?) by the hospitality shown to us in our own country. I then asked her if how soon can we be seated, she answered that we were absolutely next in line.

A little past 9, we were (at last) ushered to our seat while a woman who is actually a hotel guest (can't help but overhear) gave her complaints to the manager (that's why we didn't talk to the manager anymore)

I know this is supposed to be a blog about food but of course the pre-dining experience counts (very much).

The buffet boosts of Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, and Western dishes. The table closes at 10 so we really had only 1 hour to eat. I loaded my plate with everything that I think I would like.

My First Plate
Shrimp - cold and tasteless, I couldn’t find a vinegar dip (my personal liking)
Steak - tasteless as it is but yummy with their gravy
Sashimi - almost can't swallow it, the slices were too thick
Kani and Maki - loved it
Cordon Bleu - yummy
Veggie Pizza - yummy
Pasta - yummy
Beef something - ok
Salad - made my own with deli ham and Thousand Island dressing (loved it)

I tasted a bit of everything and ended up liking only the chocolate mousse. Sunrise willingly polished my dessert plate.

I came back for more of their potato fries and fresh fruits which I loved dearly.

Our check arrived with a little over PhP2000 for the three of us. It should have been really worth it if we were seated sooner than expected. I’m hoping for a better Marriott Café next time we drop by.